Bravery that brought justice - victims' courage sees Doncaster child sex offender Paul Mundy jailed

The brave testimonies of four courageous victims of non-recent sexual offences have secured a 31-year prison sentence against a child sex offender from Doncaster.

A lengthy and complex investigation into Paul Mundy led to the 71-year-old being jailed for over three decades during a sentencing hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday (15 May).

Mundy, of Market Place, Bawtry, had previously been found guilty of 24 counts of rape and sexual assault.

His refusal to admit his horrific crimes meant his victims were forced to relive their experiences during a criminal trial. However, a jury saw through Mundy's lies, with justice prevailing for his four brave victims.

'Justice has been served'

Joanna Hobbs is one of three victims who has legally waived her right to anonymity in order to share her story.

She was raped and sexually abused by her stepfather Mundy, with the abuse starting when she was just five years old and continuing well into her teenage years.

His evil crimes left her "frozen in fear" and in a compelling victim impact statement, she explained how she felt powerless to stop him.

"Being abused made me feel I was to give my body freely - it was what I believed was normal.

"I would just lay there and let him do want he wanted and he would leave.

"As a child it was scary and I detached during the abuse, frozen in fear, I felt unsafe and vulnerable - something to be used like an object, not something to be loved.

"I have carried this trauma with me for many years. Small things will remind me of my childhood and take me back - songs from my childhood, the smell of Lenor fabric conditioner, coffee, mushrooms and corn on the cob.

"Everyday things that will remind me, I can never ever escape these memories."

Joanna says that although she can never reclaim her childhood, having the opportunity to seek justice against her abuser has been "empowering".

She said: "Hearing other women’s statements during this court process and fully understanding the extent of his abuse and repeated patterns has been heartbreaking.

"I am truly grateful that finally justice has been served, and no more young girls will be at the hands of this disgusting, vile, lying, deceitful paedophile." 

'You do not get to write my ending'

Megan O'Brien was Mundy's step-granddaughter. Her childhood was also ravaged by abuse which began when she was in primary school.

In a powerful victim impact statement, she recalled how the abuse has had "long-lasting effects on my mental health, my education, and my relationships" as the person who should have been protecting her instead subjected her to inexcusable harm that has stayed with her into adulthood.

"That betrayal is something I carry every day," Megan wrote in her statement. "It changed the way I see people, the way I interpret love, and the way I understand my own worth. What you did to me took away my sense of safety and trust when I was most vulnerable.

"Having been subjected to your tormented ideologies from such a young age affected the most influential time of my cognitive development.

"Through adolescence into adulthood, I was shaped to believe that love comes in one form: abuse. I was groomed into believing that those around me could only ever value me for my body. I internalised that belief so deeply that I hypersexualised myself, thinking that was the only worth I had to offer."

Megan said that while she has grieved the person that was never able to exist because of Mundy's abuse, she has taken power in her resilience and shown great strength throughout the journey towards justice.

"The impact of what happened cannot be undone, but I am learning that it does not have to define the entirety of my future.

"You made me feel weak and small, like my voice did not matter. You made me quiet. But I have spent years unlearning that silence. I have taught myself to speak, to take up space, and to recognise my own value beyond what was forced onto me.

"You may have shaped part of my story, but you do not get to write the ending. I made myself strong. I made myself loud. And I am still becoming someone you will never have control over again."

'You left me feeling embarrassed and ashamed'

When Victoria Bunch was a teenage girl, she was sexually assaulted by Mundy.

It left her feeling "embarrassed and ashamed" and sadly continues to impact her day-to-day life. 

"I tried to hide it for years and push it to the back of my mind in order to forget about it. However, that didn’t completely happen. It turns out that if anyone was to walk into my room to wake me up, I am up instantly without the need to even say my name.

"When I got married it would rear its ugly head in the morning when my husband would roll over to try and cuddle me. I couldn’t even let him hug me, and God forbid should he try to be intimate.

"I can never let my guard down. It is absolutely exhausting being aware of everyone, I can never settle nor have any fun."

Her bravery and determination to seek justice for her and other victims ensured he was convicted of two counts of indecent assault against her during recent court proceedings.

'We are here to listen'

The investigation into Mundy's crimes saw Doncaster's Protecting Vulnerable People unit gather a significant amount of evidence, predominantly in the form of robust victim and witness statements, with hospital and GP records also collected and analysed.

Detective Constable Jamie Bennett, who was the officer in charge of this case, said: "I would like to first and foremost commend all four victims for their courage during the course of this lengthy investigation.

"The road to justice has been complex and even in the face of a trial, all four victims continued to show immense bravery resulting in two dozen convictions and a significant prison sentence for Mundy.

"The appalling and long-standing impact of Mundy's crimes cannot be overstated but I hope the passing of this sentence allows the four women to rebuild their lives after such a horrific ordeal.

"Mundy's crimes were non-recent and I really want to stress that it does not matter when offences took place. If you have been a victim of sexual abuse in the past, please report it to us.

"We are here to listen, and it really is never too late to report a sexual offence. We will guide you and support you through every step of the process and it's important you know that you won't have to go through this alone."

If you are a victim of sexual abuse or assault, it is never your fault. Regardless of how long ago an offence occurred, please report it to us.

For more information on rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences, and how to report these crimes to police or other support agencies, please visit the dedicated section on our website.

Please remember that unless a victim of a sexual offence has legally waived their right to anonymity, they are automatically entitled to lifetime anonymity under the Sexual Offences Amendment Act. It is a criminal offence to name them or share any information which may lead to them being identified and if you do this, we will take action.